Says Will Smith and his son Jaden Smith died in a car crash.
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Celebrity death hoax about Will Smith and his son spreads online
A fake death story about actor Will Smith and his rapper son Jaden Smith is circulating on Facebook.
The post surfaced in early December 2019 and displays a photograph of a mangled vehicle, a photo of the father and son with "RIP" above their names, and claims the two died in a crash "after truck and their car collide. [sic]"
This is a hoax. Will Smith and his son were not killed, injured or involved in a car crash.
The post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)
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Clicking on the post leads social media users to a junk website that features a fake video using the CNN logo that allegedly announces the "breaking news." The webpage says the video has been viewed more than 1.6 million times.
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This is an attempt to bait people into sharing a celebrity hoax on their Facebook pages and to click on the video as a way to redirect them to other websites where they are subjected to pop-up ads. It’s strongly advised not to try and play the video or click on any of the ads.
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Our Sources
Facebook video, Dec. 9, 2019
Snopes, Actor Will Smith and his son Jaden Smith were killed in a car crash in December 2019, Dec. 7, 2019
Heavy.com, Will Smith & Jaden Smith Death Hoax: They Weren’t Killed in a Car Crash, Accessed Dec. 10, 2019
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Celebrity death hoax about Will Smith and his son spreads online
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